The Importance Of Being Earnest 3 Passage Analysis

Three Passage Analysis – The Importance of Being Earnest

Oscar Wilde used comedy as the primary means of communicating the key themes of his play. In particular he used satire to ridicule the hypocrisy of the strict code of behaviors that characterized the late Victorian era. His use of satire is intended to spotlight the shortcomings of the Victorian era and highlight social issues at play that he personally condemned. Of particular importance in the play are the strict rules of behaviour concerning marriage and this is represented in all three passages presented. The theme of ‘Bunburying’ is the means for both Jack and Algernon to maintain the appearances of propriety expected within the Victorian era while allowing them to cultivate alter egos that allow them to live as they would like without the restrictions placed on them as respected members of the upper class strata of society.

Passage one presents an apparently light hearted conversation between Jack and his friend Algernon. The language used on the surface is congenial and polite but the undertone is of Algernon’s portraying his virtuosity by questioning Jack’s suitability as a husband and match for Gwendolen. The introduction of the marriage theme in the passage starts with the inversion of the ‘match made in heaven’, with Algernon stating that ‘divorces are made in heaven’. Both passage two and three also continue the theme of marriage with the second passage having Lady Bracknell quiz Jack on his suitability as a suitor for her daughter Gwendolen, while the third passage continues the theme with Gwendolen and Cecily on learning of Jack and Algernon’s subterfuge or ‘bunburying’ having Gwendolen declare ‘I am afraid it is quite clear, Cecily, that neither of us is engaged to be married to anyone’.

Passage one also covers the theme of morality and the code of behavior expected of the upper class within the Victorian era. This is evident when Jack declares Algernon ‘ungentlemanly’ in reading the inscription within Jack’s cigarette case. The hypocrisy of Jack is that he is more concerned with the reading of the inscription bringing into question his real identity and so exposing that in fact he is named Jack and lives in the country rather than Ernest who lives in town. Later in the play Jack states to Algernon, ‘Well my name is Ernest in town and Jack in the country, and the cigarette case was given to me in the country.’ It is shortly after this that Algernon states that he suspected Jack of being a confirmed and secret ‘Bunburyist’.

Passage two follows Lady Bracknell’s questioning of Jack’s suitability as a marriage partner for her daughter Gwendolen, and highlights the author’s wit and comedic talent with some of the funniest parts of the play presented. In questioning Jack on his lineage she starts with a question as to his parents. In hearing that Jack has lost both of his parents, Lady Bracknell states, ‘To lose one parent, Mr Worthing, may be regarded as misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.’ This demonstrates in a humorous way to the audience of the play Lady Bracknell obsession with the observation and adherence to one of the key rules of marriage, which is a suitor, should be of the same or better social standing. The message the author is presenting is that the virtues of compassion and understanding are not of consequence whatsoever in comparison with Lady Bracknell obsession with gaining a husband for her daughter of suitable social standing. That Jack has never known his parents, that they may be dead, does not even come into Lady Bracknell’s consideration when learning of Jack’s ‘lost’ parents, and again in a humorous, satirical fashion, when she says to Jack, ‘I would strongly advise you, Mr Worthing, to try and acquire some relations as soon as possible, and to make a definitive effort to produce at least one parent, of either sex, before the season is quite over’.

Passage three brings the subterfuge and ‘Bunburying’ to a conclusion as it is revealed that Ernest, who both girls are enamored of is non-existent, leading Gwendolen to say, ‘A gross deception has been practiced on both of us.’ Marriage is still one of the themes as the girls realize that neither of them are still engaged. The key theme of this passage however is that of morality and behaviors. That Algernon and Jack’s ‘bunburying’ has been discovered sends a message to the readers of the play that Jack is more at pain to be forced to speak the truth than having been caught out. How this message is portrayed is jack demeanor when answering the girls questions, where he is both pleasant and cheery. Jack’s comfort with lying and deceiving those close to him including Cecily, Gwendolen and Algernon comes out in a later part of the play where Jack states, ‘Gwendolen, it is a terrible thing for a man to find out suddenly that all of his life he has been speaking nothing but the truth’. This again is an inversion where a person with high morals may state the opposite, and if they found out they had been ‘lying’ all of their life think that a terrible thing.

In conclusion, the author’s use of comedy, and in particular satire, bring a humorous view of the key themes of marriage, norms of behaviors and morals of the Victorian era to a focus that allows the reader to quickly see the hypocrisy of the time and the difference in terms of peoples private behaviours and beliefs in stark contrast to the codes of behavior and social norms expected of those with high social standing.